Growing Up
by veronica.toon.7
Summary: Giftfic for Niccunningham and their nieces and sequel to Caring, Bright Eyes. Months pass for Bright Heart and he take sit all in with his parents by his side. Over these months, he learns what it means to grow up.


**Well, here I go again. Another Care Bear story and a sequel to my last one in fact. Thanks Niccunningham for requesting it and I hope your nieces enjoy it.**

 **I own nothing. Care Bears belong to their rightful owners and idea for this story goes to Niccunningham.**

 **Enjoy the story!**

* * *

Time seemed to fly for the Care Bears. It seemed just yesterday that Noble Heart Horse and True Heart Bear had just welcomed their little bundle of joy into the world. And it seemed even closer that he had just received his tummy symbol. They could still clear remember the day it appeared. They had come over to the crib where he was playing with his puzzles and toys when a small flash of light appeared on his belly before being replaced by a yellow, heart-shaped light bulb. He had giggled, patting the new mark before going back to play with the puzzle he was on.

His parents nearby just held onto each other and smiled at one another, before at him. They were so proud of him.

Now as the moon shone brightly through the heart-shaped window, it illuminated the young raccoon in his mother's arms, gently rocking and singing him to sleep. A wide smile was on her lips as she gazed onto her little boy's slumbering face. Hard to believe he had nearly been with her and her husband a year and that tomorrow he would be turning one. She eagerly awaited what the next day would bring for her child's first birthday, but for now she would let him rest until the sun rose.

She gently kissed his sleeping head on more time before setting him down softly into his crib and quietly tiptoeing out the door.

* * *

Sunlight trickled in through the bars in the crib as the early morning sun rose up into the sky. Inside the crib the light fell upon the slumbering raccoon. His eyes slowly creaked open as he woke up, yawning loudly before sitting up.

All of a sudden, bright colors burst around him. Brightly shining pieces of confetti and spiraling streamers fell upon him and the bed around him. He giggled as he tried to capture some of it before looking up excitedly at his parents.

"Happy birthday, sweetheart," both of them said in unison before reaching him to pluck him out of bed. He gleefully reached out to touch their faces while also brushing off the decorations that had fallen onto his head.

"Hard to believe you're already a year old," True Heart crooned, cuddling him close. All of a sudden, the sound of the doorbell could be heard.

"Ah, that must be the guests. I'll open the door for them while you get him dressed, alright," Noble Heart said, already heading towards the door.

"Will do," she replied, before getting right to her task. "C'mon sweetheart. Let's not keep the others waiting, especially on your big day."

Sure enough, by the the time they had come down the stairs and outside, the entire Care Bear family was there to greet him. Many of the cubs rushed to greet him and wish him a happy birthday.

"C'mon little ones. Let's go over to then playground while those two get set up for the party," Grams Bear cooed, instantly drawing back everyone's attention. The two leaders waved goodbye to everyone while they retreated back into the house to prepare.

* * *

The playground was simply a large cloud filled with equipment either fashioned from cloud or some other material. There was everything from swings, pushed gently by the star and heart buddies, seesaws, slides, monkey bars, and even a sandbox filled with actual sand. And of course there was plenty of room to run and columns made of cloud for games like hide-and-seek.

Everyone had their own place and activity they liked to do. Playful Heart Monkey, of course, adored to swing on the monkey bars while Swift Heart Rabbit loved to play tag and chase with the others, even if it could be rather difficult to play with her do to her speedy nature.

In the midst of all the playing, Bright Heart Raccoon found himself in the sandbox alongside Gentle Heart Lamb and Funshine Bear. Between the three of them, a small sandcastle was taking shape quite nicely. Funshine Bear eagerly filled the bucket full of sand to pass onto Bright Heart who carefully placed them upside-down and set up the towers. Lastly, Gentle Heart would draw and carve out the shapes of the windows and such.

"Cubs! Cousins! It's time to come back! The party is finally set up," Grams called out, alerting everyone to her presence. They immediately dropped what they were doing and rushed over to her. Bright Heart, still the youngest of the group, crawled over her, but not before turning back to the sandcastle and sticking a little red flag on top of the tallest tower.

* * *

Back at the house, in the arms of Grams Bear, Bright Heart's eyes widened at the sight of the changes made to his home.

More colorful decorations had been set up and streamers were strung all around the ceiling. Tables and chairs had been set up everywhere, each with an individual place for each of them. His mouth started to water at the sight of the tall, frosted cake with candles that sat on one of the biggest tables.

However, the thing that might of made his eyes grow wide the most at was the huge amount of gifts that was on another table. Boxes and bags of all shapes, sizes, and colors stood on top, each begging to be opened.

He gave a small squeak of surprise as he was suddenly taken from the arms of Grams and placed back in the hold of his mother. They were the taken to the middle of the room and he found himself sitting upon his mother's lap on the heart-stiched rug. He stared confusedly up at his mother before his eyes looked upon the brightly-wrapped yellow box with the red ribbon bow that his father brought forward.

"Open it son. It's for you from your mother and I," Noble Heart said, pushing it closer to him. Bright Heart stared puzzled at him for a moment before excitedly reaching forward and undoing the bow and tearing at the wrapping paper. Everyone else gathered around him and watched. They each held their breath as the lids of the box were opened and he peered inside.

He looked up perplexed not a second later with a pair of red sneakers in his grasp. Some of the bears and cousins oohed in awe of the shoes while he just looked up curiously at his parents.

"They're shoes, son. You put them on when you go out walking," True Heart explained, before giggling, "Of course though we'll need to teach you how to walk first."

"Soon dear, soon," Noble Heart explained, before handing Bright Heart another present. "Here you go son."

Eager once more to see what was inside, he tore through the present, only to emerge head-deep from the inside of the present with a strange piece of cloth and an even weirder shaped piece of cloth.

"Those are a vest and hat, sweetheart. You put them on," True Heart explained, guiding her child's arms through the holes in the vest before placing the cap on his head. Unfortunately, both articles of clothing were far too big on him, as were the shoes. Bright Heart didn't mind though, only giggling when the baseball cap fell onto his face.

"I'm afraid he'll need to do some growing first before he can fit into them," Grams noted, before handing him a new present. "I believe that this one will be just right for him now though."

After using the oversize hat out of the way, Bright Heart took to opening his third present, this time a striped rainbow bag with beautiful wrapping paper sticking out from the top. Reaching an arms inside he fished around the bottom for the contents of the gift before his little paw finally hit something. Pulling his out, his eyes shone in wonder at what it was.

"It's a remote controlled cloud card that can fly, dearie. Some of the other cubs and I picked it out for you. We hope you enjoy it," Grams explained.

Bright Heart smiled before gleefully hitting the buttons and stick on the remote control. Instantly, the toy car started to whir before taking flight in the middle of the living room. The other party guests cried out in delight as it flew over their heads, guided by Bright Heart's enthusiastic paws.

In the center of all the excitement was Bright Heart, staring up at his new toy in pure happiness. If this was what having a birthday was like, then he would he really make the most of them when they happened.

* * *

Hours later, the sun had begun to dip in the sky, turning the once brilliant blues into vibrant reds, pinks, oranges, and golds. At the door of the leader's house the two and Bright Heart waved their goodbyes to grams as she took her leave along with the rest of the Care Bear family. Having eaten their cake, played their games, and wished Bright Heart a happy birthday, they were all headed home together happy.

"Well that sure was fun," Noble Heart said, turning back to his wife. She smiled and nodded at him before looking down into her arms where their son had completely passed out.

"I'd better get our little one-year old son to bed. You get started on the cleaning and I'll join you in a minute," True Heart replied before heading up the stairs.

"Sounds like a plan," he replied before taking up a broom and beginning to sweep the floor.

Bright Heart was so exhausted from the day's activities that he barely noticed when his mother pried him gently off her chest and adjusted him under the covers under his own bed. He simply curled under his blanket and gave a small purr when she kissed his sleeping head softly.

"Sleep well my little one. Sweet dreams." And with that she exited quietly and went downstairs to aid her husband in the cleaning.

Unbeknownst to any of them, outside the wind had drastically picked up, as well as the latch on the window in Bright Heart's room was left unlocked enough that it could enter. The chill air breezed right into the room, circling down upon the young raccoon. Already deeply asleep, he could do nothing now but shiver and bury himself deeper into his covers to try and keep warm.

* * *

The next morning, the sun shone even brighter then it had the previous day. Birds chirped from on top the rafters and the sky was a brilliant blue. It was those kind of mornings that the atmosphere felt just so wonderful that you could not help but feel happy. and such was the mood of the two parents, getting and setting up for the new day.

As True Heart climbed the stairs as the sunlight streamed in, a smile was on her face and a whistle on her lips. In one of her paws she carried along a bottle of milk, warmed just perfectly for her child. Opening the door, she strode cheerfully into his room and over to his crib.

"Rise and shine sunshine. It's time to wake up dear," she cooed. The smile slowly disappeared and was replaced with a small frown at the still lump under the blankets. Slowly she took hold of the covers and pulled them back, revealing the curled up form of her child, his head buried in his paws. Smiling once more, she brought the bottle close to his head.

"Wake up dear. It's time for breakfast," she said, edging the rubber nipple close to his mouth. The young kit blearily opened his eyes and sniffed before nipping down on the bottle. Yet scarcely had he down a few sips when he started sneezing violently, spitting out a few drops of milk in the process.

Lowering the bottle, True Heart reached down and picked him up before cuddling him close. His nose was runny and tears pricked at the corners of his eyes.

"Oh my poor baby," she crooned softly as he leaned against her. Even with all her fur sand the sunlight falling on her she could sense that he was intensely hot. Her eyes then glanced at the window, wide open as a small breeze came in. In a instant she understood what had happened last night. She quickly shut and locked it before grabbing the blanket from his bed to swaddle him in it.

Noble Heart was in the kitchen at the moment, cooking pancakes for both himself and his wife. He smile cheerfully as she came into the room, but frowned when he noticed what she was carrying.

"I found the windows open when I came into his room. I'm afraid that all that cold night air has given him a cold." His eyes widened in alarm and he immediately dropped he was doing to carefully look over him.

"Oh what rotten luck. Sick the first day after his birthday," he murmured, stroking back several of his son's hairs, already damp with sweat. "I'd put him back to bed. Since he's still very young I don't recommend giving him any medicine since it may be too strong for his body to handle. And of course we need to make sure that he keeps pushing fluids."

"Of course. We might also want to check the latch on his window, because if any wind from the outside can push it open, then there certainly must be something wrong with it."

Bright Heart had stopped sniffling, but his coughing was still rather loud. He shivered and thrashed around in his mother's embrace, desperate for warmth yet so agitated by it at the same time. And all at once he kept on wondering to himself, "when would this all end?"

"I'll take him up to his room darling. How about you finish up the pancakes while I put him back into bed," Noble Heart asked. True Heart nodded and carefully handed him over.

"Don't worry son. We're going to make sure that you're all taken care of. I'm so sorry you've got a fever. It's no fun being sick at all," he murmured to his snuggling boy as he climbed up the stairs and entered the room again. "Just try and get some rest. Sometimes the best way to get rid of being sick is just to sleep it off," he explained as he set Bright Heart back into his crib. The small kit shivered as he was placed into his now less warm bed again, but began cuddling back into the covers.

From above him his father let out a small sigh before going over to a nearby chair and sitting down on it. He would wait there patiently to see if his son would need anything as time went on. It might take awhile, but he would stay there as long as he needed to. After all, what was a father for if he was not there to support his child?

However, as the hours passed by, he soon found himself dozing, only to have his dreams shattered by a piercing scream. He instantly was on his feet, only do take a few steps back as a wave of dizziness came across him. Shaking his head to clear his mind, he walked over to his son's crib where the little kit was flailing wildly.

"C'mere son," Noble Heart crooned softly, picking him up and cradling him close. The little kit whimpered as he cuddled close, obviously distressed from a bad dream. Soon though the sound of his father's gently beating heart eased him back into the land of dreams. Noble Heart smiled and kissed him on the head before setting him back down.

"Sleep well, Bright Heart. I'm always there for you."

* * *

Soon after Bright Heart's birthday, the months had flown by and he was already taking big steps in his development. The family found themselves in the backyard, among the playground equipment and beside the tree, Noble and True Heart eagerly encouraged their son to walk closer to them. Bright Heart slowly stood up, his legs quivering as he eased them forward. However his center of balance was off, and the step he took sent him tumbling onto his front.

His parents gasped at the sight of him sprawled out on the ground on his face, only to breathe out a sigh of relief as he looked up, squinting at the small tuft of cloud on his nose. He hastily brushed away and sneezed, before resuming his efforts to walk. Pushing himself up onto his feet, he held out his arms out to the side to steady himself until he was on center again.

"Bright Heart, come on. Over here darling," True Heart cheered on. Bright Heart giggled and took a wobbly step forward, only to tumble down on his face again. Sneezing as he picked himself, he stood up again and look determinedly at his goal. Throwing up his arms by his sides like he was walking a tightrope, he took it slowly, one foot at a time.

He took his first step and stopped, regaining his balance. He took another step, this time taking a little less time to recover. He then took another one, then another, and then...

Bight Heart lost his footing and fell down... right into the lap of his adoring parents. The bear and horse cheered before taking him into their arms for a victory hug.

"Oh my little darling, I'm so proud of you," Bright Heart cooed. "Indeed we are son. You're growing up so fast," Noble Heart agreed.

"Seems just like yesterday that he first opened his eyes and took a glance at the world," came a voice from. An elderly bear with aster purple fur, glasses, and a pink lace shawl walked in through the gate and over to them.

"Hello Grams. Glad you could watch our little boy take his first steps for the very first time," True Heart replied.

"He's growing up so fast," Noble Heart remarked, leaning down and gently patting his son's head. Bright Heart crooned under his father's soft touch and grabbed at his hand.

"P-p-pa," he enunciated and immediately all eyes were focused on him. "Paaaa-paaa," he drawled out. Noble Heart grinned and grasped his son before lifting him high above his head. Bright Heart squealed with delight at the sudden gesture.

"You said your first word. My little boy, you've just said your first word," he cried out, before drawing him near. Tears of joy fell down his muzzle and he sniffed. "This is the happiest day of my life."

"His first steps and his first word, both on the same day. Oh my, he's growing up so fast," True Heart added, coming closer to her boys to hug them.

"Such a momentous occasion," Grams remarked, before turning towards the parents. "You should commemorate this day on the Marking Tree."

"An excellent idea," Noble Heart replied. "I'll get the chalk and meet you there." Off handing him to his mother, the horse dashed inside the house to look for a stick of chalk to use.

* * *

The Marking Trees, as they were, were a select kind of tree that grew on the clouds surrounding the Kingdom of Care-A-Lot and other aerial providence. Appearance-wise, they looked no different from any kind of tree with its sturdy bark and its deep blue leaves. What made it special those is that its bark could easily hold a mark, say from a stick of chalk, and the trunk grew fairly straight and with no low-hanging branches. That made it an ideal spot to measure a little one's height.

Now several Marking Trees were spread out all over, many of them with multiple chalk line on them to show the multiple age progressions of both the Care Bear Cubs and Care Bear Cousins. However, there was only one around that only had one age progression chart on it, and that was Bright Heart's.

Around two marks were on it, one for when he had just been born and the other when he just turned one. A third one would join them in just a minute.

Bright Heart stared curiously up at the tree, smiling at the previous two chalk lines. He gleefully stumbled over to it ad turned around, pressing his back against the cool, smooth wood. Noble Heart chuckled and reached over to the tree and pressed his chalk stick on it, being careful to draw a line right above Bright Heart's head.

Bright Heart wobbled over to his parents, using their legs to steady his own before turning back to the tree. Sure enough, a new mark was on it, and quite a few inches above the previous one. He pointed at it while looking up at his mother and father and they smiled and nodded at him. His smile grew wider and he began hopping up and down in excitement. His parents giggled at him before reaching down and picking him up. He laughed and hugged them close, enjoying the sound of their heartbeats and the feeling of their warm fur.

If growing up was this wonderful, then he couldn't wait to grow up some more.

* * *

 **I hope you enjoyed reading this story. I love to write a good nature, family story now and then. Please leave a review if you like it and feel free to check out some of my other stories. -V.t.7**


End file.
